Studying
by autumnskyhill
Summary: The PG13 doesn't come in until later. I don't know if I'll continue this... A bit PWP, DracoHermione. Not much 'foreplay'. Will probably get straight to the point. R&R if you enjoy it!
1. Default Chapter

She remembered a time when her life was carefree.

When she was five years old, she started school. She met a girl named Anna, and decided to make friends with her. She and Anna spent every free moment together. They laughed and told jokes, they giggled and shared their crushes on the boys, and they sat next to each other in class.

One day, Anna came in with a large group of girls. They were the group that Anna had always wanted to be a part of. There was Mary, who had long blonde hair that was always done in pigtails, and bright blue eyes. She always wore the prettiest skirts, and all the boys liked to chase her about, as a sign that they liked her. Then there was Jane and Elizabeth, the twins. They both had short brown hair that was tied back with pink ribbons, and squinty brown eyes that glared at anyone who dared question their leader, Mary. Finally there was Wendy, who was more on the quiet side, but was the prettiest of all of them. She had shoulder-length blonder hair that was always done up into a ponytail, and big green eyes. She wore jeans and a T-shirt everyday, but that didn't lessen the amounts of boys who chased _her_. Now, Anna stood by their side, looking sadly at her old friend. 

Her old friend sat to the side, not meeting Anna's gaze, for fear that she would start crying and never be able to stop. Anna turned away, and started giggling with Mary and Jane. The little girl had lost her only friend.

That was when she decided to devote her time to books. They would never betray her for popularity.

     Now this little girl was a seventh year Gryffindor  at Hogwarts, Head Girl, and the school brain. This little girl had grown to be a young woman, and this girl had learned to look past her lonely past and into the bright future. This girl had made many friends at Hogwarts, including her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. This girl who had once been 'the Loner' had grown into who she was,  Hermione Granger.   

      It was only the third day of classes, but the teachers wasted no time. They didn't hesitate to assign horrendous amounts of homework, and the professors were as determined as ever to prepare the seventh years for NEWTS. Hermione had been stressing since OWLS were over, even though Harry and Ron were constantly reassuring her. "You're the smartest student to ever enter Hogwarts, 'Mione, you'll do great!", they would say. Hermione would nod absently, and go back to poring over her textbooks.

       In fact, she was in the library right now, studying a book on the Goblin wars. She was just about to close it and get another textbook out of her over-flowing bag when her frenzied state was interrupted. 

    "Granger, have you ever heard of a break?"

        Hermione looked up at the sound of the familiar drawl. It was Draco Malfoy. Making his annual rounds, insulting Hermione and her friends whenever the occasion came up.

     "What do you want, Malfoy? I'm busy."

        Draco smirked. 

      "I'm not here to pick a fight, much as I'd like to. McGonagall wanted me to fetch you. She's holding an emergency meeting." 

          Hermione groaned. She was Head Girl, and Draco was Head Boy. Despite her happiness at making Head Girl, she had originally planned on studying the whole year.

       "You didn't plan on studying the whole year, did you?"

           When Hermione didn't reply, Draco laughed.

      "You really planned on studying the whole year? And what do Pothead and Weasel have to say about that?" 

        Hermione glared at Draco, willing him to back off. But of course, he didn't. So she looked down, silently counting to ten before answering. 

        "They won't let me study in their presence, so I come here to study. It was supposed to be my secret space," she muttered.

         Draco snickered. "Granger, this is the library. Not your private sanctuary!"

         Hermione  continued glaring at him. "Bugger off, Malfoy."

         Draco shrugged. "Sorry, can't. We have a bloody meeting to attend to. But I'm free after…"

          Hermione was compelled to throw all her books at him. But then she'd have to spend precious time repairing them. 

            Draco laughed at her expression. "You've changed, Granger. Now come on. Or else McGonagall will have my head. Can't let that happen. Thousands of girls would be driven to insanity."

           Hermione snorted, but gathered her books up and walked out through the doors, leaving a smirking Draco behind. 

            But she couldn't help thinking… What did he mean when he said, _"You've changed, Granger_."

        And why did she care?


	2. Asking for Help

**Disclaimer – **Forgot about this earlier. 'Course, I'm sure you all know by now. All recognizable HP characters and products and spells and whatever belong to J.K. Rowling. There might be a couple of references to the movies, or I might accidentally include something that came from it. The movies are also property of J.K. Rowling, but they were produced by Warner Bros, so it's their property as well.

**A/N** – Not much of a feedback so far… Afraid there won't be much at all. Post-war. Voldemort is gone, and Draco and Hermione's actual romance will develop slowly, possibly beginning at a school dance, or something. Well, enjoy!

          The meeting was held, as always, in the lounge. It resembled a court room, with  a long desk stretching across the front of the room, where the Heads and the Professors would sit. Then, in front of that desk were smaller desks, with two seats at each, for the prefects of each house. 

           Draco and Hermione sat in their seats, while Professor McGonagall gave them a rather long 'briefing' on what they would be planning, and what they were responsible for completing. 

           "…And then, Miss Granger, you'll have to plan out the invitations. I understand that you are quite talented at performing calligraphy spells. Mr. Malfoy, you'll be responsible for the guest lists. All the sixth and seventh years are invited, and be sure to double-check, so that none of the students will be left out. Miss Granger, you can pick some of the music, we'd like to have a combination of both wizard and Muggle music. Mr. Malfoy, you can help her choose. Any questions?"

              Draco had to bite his tongue to keep from asking, "Can you repeat that all over again? I lost you after 'and'." He turned his head to see Hermione nodding. He nodded too, then rose. Hermione was soon at his side.  Professor McGonagall smiled approvingly, then left the room. 

              "Everyone! Pay attention!" 

               The prefects looked up, snapping to attention. Some of them were just scared that Draco might hurt them. Others respected him, and the rest were part of his Slytherin group. The Gryffindor prefects were reluctant, but with a Look from Hermione, they quickly joined the others and looked up. 

               Hermione cleared her throat, glancing at Draco to see if he wanted to tell them instead. He had already sat down, lounging languidly. 

                Hermione rolled her eyes, then began, "Ok. As you all know, every year, Professor Dumbledore and the other professors plan something special for us. This year, there will be a string of dances. First, there's the Masked Ball, in honor of Halloween. You'll all be able to wear your costumes, as long as they are decidedly appropriate for school." Draco snorted. Hermione glared at him.

                 Then she turned at the others. They were already whispering excitedly, the girls giggling, the guys grinning (no doubt at the thought of _in_appropriate costumes). She rolled her eyes inwardly, then continued.

                 "Following that will be the Christmas Ball. There will be two Hogsmeade weekends beforehand, one two weeks prior, and another one week prior, giving you the opportunity to purchase, and possibly exchange or return, nice dress robes, or whatever you think you'll need." Draco smirked.  Teenage boys and their perverted thoughts. 

                  Hermione paused to let the information sink in. The students were having trouble containing their excitement now. 

                   "And finally, there will be a Spring Fling. Another dance, in honor of springtime. Then, for the end of year celebrations, the first and second years will get a chance to tour Hogsmeade beforehand, the third and fourth years will be having another dance, the fifth and sixth years will be taking a trip to Scotland, where Professor Dumbledore has a generous friend who'll be willing to give them a tour of the wizarding communities of Scotland. And finally, the seventh years will have the opportunity of visiting Muggle London!" 

                   There was excited chatter among the fifth and sixth years of the trip to Scotland, and the Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor seventh year prefects talked animatedly of the trip to Muggle London. The Slytherins scowled, shocked at the concept of going to a _Muggle_ area. Draco almost choked. He had already been told this only half an hour ago, but the tidbit of information still shocked him. Granger  probably couldn't wait to go. She WAS  a Mudblood after all. He rolled his eyes, and stood up again. 

                   "Ok, everyone! Meeting's over. Go back to whatever you were doing."

                  Everyone packed up quickly, and rushed through the doors, no doubt already planning what to wear, who to tell, the usual. 

                   Hermione yawned. Time to go back to studying.

                  "Granger, before you go back to your 'secret space', do you mind helping me with something?"

                  Hermione whirled around, banging her foot against the hard-wood desk. She winced, then bit her lip, turning to Draco. "W-What do you need help with?"

                  Draco raised a brow at her pained expression. "Is it that bad having mean old Malfoy ask you for a favor?"

                  Hermione groaned, rolling her eyes. She REALLY did not need this right now. She counted to ten and forced a smile. "What is it, Malfoy?"

                  Draco took a deep breath, then mumbled, "I need help with my Arithmancy homework."

                   Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?"

                   Draco sighed, then mumbled, this time louder, "I need help with my Arithmancy homework."

                 Hermione, still worrying that she might be hearing things, only nodded. 

             "O-OK. Meet me in the library tonight, right after dinner. If anyone asks, you can tell them you were doing your daily rounds, trying to frighten the first years." 

              Draco glared at her, but nodded. "See in the library then Granger. Don't forget! If I fail, I'm dead."

             With that, he left, leaving a baffled Hermione behind.

               Hermione sighed, then bent down to gather up her books. 

              Malfoy never did cease to amaze her. 


	3. Change of Plans

**Disclaimer – **How many times do I have to repeat this? I own nothing. Unfortunately, -sigh-, I get almost everything I want (haha) except for HP rights. (If I did own HP rights, you can bet your life on it that I'd be making crazy plots and there would be tons more snogging… That's probably why the movie people probably won't ever invite me to plot for them. Ah well, their loss) Ok, on to A/N.

**Author's Notes** – I've got the cutest bag! It's just adorable! And it's just so cute! And I've got these gorgeous grungy HP stickers. (I'm almost positive their legal…) Right, anyway, enjoy.

          Hermione groaned, throwing her head over her folded arms. She hadn't had a full night's sleep in days, not since the beginning of August, and barely made it through each day. She sighed, then rubbed her bleary eyes. She looked down at her watch, and realized that it was a quarter 'til dinner would be served. She groaned again, and stood up, gathered up her books, and walked out through the doors, ignoring the questioning glances of the librarian. (She had been spending all her free time there, and usually didn't leave until after midnight.)

           Outside, she was greeted by Harry and Ron, who threw her accusing looks. They began firing questions at her.

           "Have you been studying again?"

            "Did Malfoy do anything to you? Because if he did…"

           "Shut up, Ron. Hermione, you can't do this to yourself! You've got to at least take a fifteen-minute break, then!"

            "Yeah, if you keep this up, you'll be in no shape to take the actual NEWTs! Besides, Harry and I need up with our homework."

             Harry jabbed his friend in ribs. Ron yelped and glared at Harry.

           Hermione rolled her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned back to face her friends. 

          "No Harry," she lied, "I've just been doing some light reading."

            Ron glanced at her overflowing bag. 

          "Is _that_ what you consider to be light?"

             Hermione rolled her eyes again. "Yes, Ron. It's quite enjoying you know, you should try it. Now come on, I'm starving!"

             With that, she moved ahead. 

              Behind her, she could hear Ron muttering, "If I read as much as her, I'd be starving too." Harry chuckled. 

               Hermione threw a glare at Ron. "I heard that!" 

              Ron started whistling nervously and looked away. 

              Hermione shook her head and laughed. 

            Same old, same old. 

          Hermione ate quickly, all the while sneaking glances at Draco, who could be seen entertaining a group of Slytherins. She rolled her eyes and got up. She said a quick goodbye to Harry and Ron and was about to walk out the double doors that lead to the Great Hall when she was stopped by a disheveled Professor McGonagall. 

          "Miss Granger! Before you go…" 

          Hermione turned and  waited for her huffing professor. 

          "Yes, Professor?"

           Professor McGonagall stopped to catch her breath, still panting, then swallowed and took a deep breath. 

          "Miss Granger, I need you and Mr. Malfoy to meet me in my office. Please make haste. I expect you to be there within ten minutes." 

           Then she turned and walked away. 

          Hermione sighed, then headed towards the Slytherin table, bracing herself for whatever rude comment was thrown at her. 

          When she got there, she headed straight for Malfoy, ignoring all the glares and scowls she received.

           "Malfoy, McGonagall wants to see us in her office."

           Pansy Parkinson, or Parkinass, as Harry liked to call her, snickered and yelled, "Hey Mudblood! Trying to seduce my Drakey?"

            Hermione rolled her eyes, and went back to talking to Draco. 

         "She wants to talk to us about something."

           Millicent Bulstrode decided to join in with her friend's jeering. 

        "Yeah, Mudblood! You're mudblood-ness is spreading! Go away before one of us catches it!"

           Hermione rolled her eyes again, and was about to continue her prodding when Pansy said, "I'm sure Potty would love to get down your pants tonight! Why don't you go and find out?"

            It took all of Hermione's self-control to keep herself from deepening the dent in Pansy's pug-face. 

She and Harry had dated for a period of time, and all had gone well, until Harry brought up wanting to have sex. Hermione had told him she wasn't ready, and he had gotten pissed and left. He had apologized later on, but their relationship was never the same, so they decided to end it and go back to being 'just friends'. 

            Her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides while she fought to control her boiling rage. 

       "Malfoy, McGonagall wants to see us in her office. Are you coming or not?" she asked through clenched teeth.

           Draco continued chewing on his roll, plainly ignoring Hermione. She waited for him to answer. When he finished chewing and swallowed, he replied, "I'll be there." Then he went back to buttering another roll. Hermione practically screamed, but walked away, making sure to flash the Finger at Parkinass and her over-sized friend. Draco saw this gesture and snorted into his stew. The Mudblood really _had _changed.

       Ten minutes later, both Draco and Hermione stood before McGonagall while their Transfiguration professor paced the room. They glanced at each other, then Draco cleared his throat.

"Professor? You wanted to see us?"

 Professor McGonagall stopped pacing and turned to face Draco and Hermione. 

"Do you recall me telling you about the dances and trips planned earlier today at the meeting?"

 Both Draco and Hermione nodded. Where was she going with this?  
  


"Well, it turns out that there'll be some changes… You've no need to know the cause, just that the dances have all been cancelled, and the special events as well… I trust you two will tell the other Prefects?"

 Hermione frowned, confused. She decided to press the professor for details later on. 

If Draco was surprised, confused, happy, or sad, he didn't show it. Hermione often wondered how he did it. 

"We'll let them know, Professor. But… Will there be anything planned to replace them?"

Professor McGonagall looked up, and her eyes flashed. She had obviously forgotten about that fact.

She hesitated, then replied, "Yes, of course… But we'll discuss that later. For now, just let the others know."

With that, she turned away and continued pacing, muttering quietly to herself. Hermione caught "inconsiderate" and "fuckers". She wondered what had gotten their usually calm and in-control professor so worked up. Apparently, Draco had heard this too, and Hermione saw him holding back laughter.

When she noticed that Hermione and Draco still stood before her, she waved them off with a hand.

"Go on. Thank you both for being prompt. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

Both Hermione and Draco nodded, then exited. 

Once outside, Draco turned to Hermione. "Is our study date still on?"

"I wouldn't go as far as to call it a date, Malfoy."

Draco shrugged. "Fine, session, then. Is our study _session _still on?"

Hermione paused, then said, "Yes. Meet me in the library in an hour. I need time to come up with an excuse to tell Harry and Ron."

Draco almost seemed hurt. _Almost_.

"Is it that much of a shame to have a study session with me?"

Hermione sighed.

"No, it's not that. Ron would probably think we're doing something more, and try to poison you, and Harry would get all quiet and stop talking to me. I really don't have time for that."

Draco smirked. "What? Don't want to lose precious studying time?"

"Well, yeah."

Draco shook his head, chuckling. Hermione decided she liked his chuckle.

Where had _that_ come from? She decided she liked his _chuckle_? Maybe she should take those fifteen-minute breaks in-between studying…

"Whatever, Granger. See you in an hour."

He swept past her, and disappeared down the torchlit hallway.

Hermione couldn't help but smile.

For some strange, and somehow wrong, reason, she enjoyed talking to Draco.

If Harry and Ron knew, they'd probably ship her off to St. Mungo's.

Hermione rolled her eyes, and followed after Draco.

Fifty-six minutes, forty-five seconds until her study _session_ with Draco.


End file.
